London Fire Brigade is warning people not to risk their lives by playing on icy lakes and ponds. 

As temperatures plummet across London and the UK, the brigade said it is expecting a spike in winter-related incidents. 

Assistant commissioner Peter Cowup said: "Playing on frozen ponds or canals isn’t something we can let go as it’s extremely dangerous especially when children decide to go out on the ice.

"We also see a number of people who put themselves in danger by attempting to rescue pets that have become stranded or trapped, and then they also need to be rescued by the brigade.

"It’s not possible for people to gauge the thickness and to determine the weight that an ice covered surface will support so it’s not safe to step onto the ice, particularly as you move away from the edge and towards the middle, where ice often gets thinner.

"In these freezing conditions we’d also ask that people lag your pipes to prevent your home from flooding, and be extremely careful with electric heaters to prevent fires."

In the last five winters, electrical heaters have caused 427 fires, claimed the lives of 10 people across the capital and almost 80 injuries.

Up to a third of all fatal electrical fires involved heaters, LFB said. 

The Met Office has a yellow weather warning in place for London, with a 70 per cent chance of freezing conditions.